Death of the Print Newspaper? - Nothing to Hang Onto!

Last week the Capital Times daily newspaper, the mainstay afternoon paper in Madison, Wisconsin, ceased it regular publication. It was all part of a plan, so they say, because circulation has dropped over the past years.


They note that in the information age, "nobody" is reading hard copy newspapers anymore. The Capital Times plans to join forces with morning paper, The Wisconsin State Journal, and provide copy for a couple of weekly news magazines that will be inserted in the regular paper. And, they point out, that they are not really going away but rather will be available only on the Internet.


I think it is a sad day for a couple of reasons. First, the Cap Times as it was affectionately know, was the liberal balance to the more conservative WSJ. It is mildly interesting that in Madison, the supposed hotbed of socialism and the Berkley of the Midwest, it is the liberal newspaper that bites the dust. They will, of course, say that it is because the afternoon paper is less likely to be read in our wildly busy world. I suppose I can buy that because I, personally, would only have need for a morning paper.


My other more selfish reason for being sad is that I hate to see any newspaper quit publishing an edition I can buy, take with me to breakfast (note: morning paper), read at my desk, and finish up the crossword when I get back home -- never mind the cheap newsprint with smudgy ink that gets on my fingers and clothes.


Other big city newspapers are also having circulation problems and advertisers are finding the daily paper less valuable as a medium for their wares. I would disagree in that I do scan the ads each day as I go by them, something I will be less likely to do online.


So there are many thing changing in this country and this world. I would just like to read about them while holding each paper section firmly, making my fingers black, without having to be next to a computer.